A Mother's Love
by ItMayCostMySoul
Summary: AU What would happen to our favorite Wicked Witch if she grew up with a mother who actually loved her? This story takes a look into a life where Elphaba grows up in a loving home. Read and Review! Fiyeraba.
1. Seeing Reason

**A/N: Okay. So this is my first multichapter fic. This idea came to me a few days ago. Basically, I asked myself what would happen if Melena actually loved Elphaba? **

**I tried to keep it mostly bookverse, but I have not read it in a while, so please correct me if I am wrong. And understand that some things will be changed, because the fic is AU, and I plan on including some elements from the musical as well. Also, bare with me, I know Melena seems a little (or a lot) out of character but I need her to see reason. So just go with it. **

**Without further ado, my fic:**

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Chapter 1:

Seeing Reason

"Tonight. We will do it tonight. After everyone is asleep. No one will know." Frex was frantically pacing back and forth, muttering things that barely made any sense to his wife. His clothes were in disarray and he was sweating nervously despite the obvious chill.

"What do you mean tonight? Tonight what?" Melena cried, suddenly afraid at what her husband was contemplating. Surely he didn't mean…no, of course not.

Frex stopped his pacing and bent down next to his wife. Her hands in his. His eyes boring, pleadingly, into hers. He was desperate.

"Melena, darling. We simply cannot keep her. She's…. she's a sin! A horrid, retched creature with fangs and claws. She's a monster! Surely you do not wish to keep her." He laughed bitterly and without a trace of happiness. He looked over his shoulder to the bundle of green that sat in the corner in a basket.

There lay his 7-day-old daughter wrapped tightly in a blanket with mittens taped to her hands and a muzzle-like contraption over her face to stop herself from any form of accidental self-mutilation. The claws he could live with. Maybe even the fangs. But the green skin?! People were sure to talk. Or worse. Maybe she was a punishment from the Unnamed God!

"So, tonight? By the river across town?" Frex looked at her pleadingly. It would have made her life so much easier to just say yes and let him take their baby daughter to the river for a nice, long swim. But the thought of her child being…_killed _was horrific. She may have been cruel but she was not heartless.

The green skin was tolerable. It was not so disgusting after the fifth or maybe twentieth viewing. Actually, there were times when her skin seemed to glow in the moonlight and accentuate her tiny features. But did the child have to have fangs? And claws as well?

Frex spoke of their child as nothing more than a monster. But that wasn't true. She saw tiny glimpses of hope and love in the child; like she could speak with her deep, searing eyes.

"Frex…I…No. I don't think so." He stood up then; furious at her refusal to dispose of their little problem. He turned back to her with blazing eyes.

"Melena. What do you think they will say? A minister and his wife giving birth to a _green_child? They will be sure to ridicule and cause a scene. They will think she is conceived of sin! You must listen to me. We need to do away with her. And soon." He spoke in terms where there was no room for questioning. His decision was final and she not to dishonor him. Melena looked away in defiance as he walked to the door.

"I will be gone for a few hours. When I get back we will decide on a plan of action." With that he walked out the front door.

Melena walked slowly and quietly to their newborn child that lay in a messy heap in the corner.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. Her eyes, unwillingly, watering. She carefully picked up the baby that curled into her chest. Wanting desperately to be held.

"Shhhh…It's ok." She said. Not even the least bit repulsed by the fangs and claws.

She pulled the baby away and decided to bathe her for the first time. In oils, of course. That was another oddity about their daughter. She was seemingly allergic to water; another proof of evidence for Frex to pick apart and use as more reason to kill their child. After racking her brain to find a way to clean the baby she figured cleansing oils would work. She had been correct.

As she set about collecting the few things needed to wash and dry the infant she thought about her own parents. Her mother was never there, leaving her in the care of her nanny. She never really saw her father who was always away on business. Her mother never did anything with her or for her. Nanny was the only one who cared. She didn't want to be that way. She desperately wanted to change her ways and be a better mother to Elphaba than her own mother was to her. She wanted her daughter to know what a mother was and how true, unconditional love felt.

She did not want to become a murderer.

Quickly she picked up the baby and put her slowly into the empty tub at the foot of the bed. Carefully she set about taking off her mittens and her muzzle. She traced the outline of the baby's face and cheeks. Gliding her fingers through her dark, wispy hair. For the first time she looked at her baby girl. Looked past the skin and noticed the vulnerable, needy baby who only wanted to be touched and loved.

She was no different than a regular, normal colored baby. The only difference was the fact that she was quiet. She barely cried when she was born and never more than whimpered or grunted when she needed something.

She gently brushed the oiled cloth all over the baby's body, caressing her as she washed her. The girl was in bliss at finally being touched. Her eyes were practically ablaze with happiness and content. Her fangs and claws where no longer an issue; she barely opened her mouth or outstretched her hands when she was given such divine attention.

"So sweet, baby." Melena crooned as she finished bathing the child. She lifted the baby from the tub and wrapped her tightly in a towel and hugged her to her chest in a protective, motherly way.

"I can't do it." Melena said to no one in particular. She could not support her husband's rash idea to kill her child. In a sudden moment of tenderness, Melena looked down into her daughter's eyes.

"I won't let it happen. I promise." With quick, decisive movements she set about to cloth the child.

"We have to hurry Elphaba." She spoke as if she were talking to a grown adult. When in actuality, her mind was reeling with ideas on how to get out of the house before Frex could return.

After she got Elphaba dressed she pulled out a bag and began to fill it with as many preservatives as possible. Food, water, oils, bottles of breast milk for the child, diapers, clothes, blankets, anything that they could use to keep warm in the cold weather.

After she changed into thicker clothes and wrapped an extra blanket around the baby she went about collecting as much money as she possibly could. She found a stack of bills underneath the mattress as well as in Frex's study. With more than enough to get to the end of Oz and back she picked up the baby and walked out the front door.

Oz only knew where they were going to end up.

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**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Oh, and I got the title from the end of the novel. Let me know if I should change it or not. Read and Review!!  
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	2. An Impasse

**A/N: It's a short chapter. You've been warned. I know not much happens in this chapter but it was needed to get to the next. Hope you enjoy and thanks for the reviews!!!  
**

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Chapter Two:

An Impasse

Six nights. Six long nights in the cramped carriage with no one but a two-week-old baby for company. Melena was glad to be gone and away from Frex but she missed the attention desperately. Any male attention was good attention. She missed the wild nights of passion that she had so long ago, months before the baby was born.

She ached for a male companion. And being farther away from Frex made it all the more inviting.

The carriage driver turned back and announced that they'd be stopping for the night at an old inn not even a mile down the road. Melena smiled sweetly at the young man and batted her eyelashes seductively. The driver blushed in embarrassment.

Melena turned her attention to the baby next to her and made sure to give her her milk and try to put her down for the night. Thankfully, little Elphaba was asleep by the time the driver escorted Melena to her room.

"Want to come in?" She asked sweetly. Yet, her intentions where quite clear in the way in which she licked her lips. The driver nodded nervously and followed her in.

Melena left their bags near the door and proceeded to make Elphaba a makeshift bed near the heater by her bed. Covered in blankets and sleeping quite soundly, Elphaba was left by herself as Melena continued, well into the night, to satisfy her craving for male companionship.

As the morning sun rose over the horizon, Melena was awakened by the frightened cries of her baby daughter, who was huddled in the corner. Quickly, Melena jumped up and ran towards the baby. Cradling her and hugging her tight.

"Oh, Elphaba. What have I done?" She was upset with herself for forgetting her sleeping daughter. "I'm a horrible mother."

She was racked with a new sense of disappointment. After vowing to become a better mother, she already messed up. Now she felt hopeless and unable to care for a child who obviously requires her undivided attention. Especially since little Elphaba was used to nonstop attention for six days straight. That was a new record.

Feeling empowered Melena decides to focus solely on her daughter and forget her cravings and impulses for a short while. Until Elphaba is a little older, at least.

"I'm sorry." She said as she kissed her daughter on the forehead and proceeded to bathe and change her into fresh clothes. A short while later the driver awoke with a bright smile on his face. He looked towards Melena expectantly. This is what she was afraid of. That he would mistake their moments of passion for anything more than passion. She was not interested in a relationship. Especially with him.

"When can we leave?" His smile wavered the slightest when she asked but he bounced back not a moment later.

"Whenever you are ready, miss."

Twenty minutes later they were in the carriage and off once more. Melena really had no idea where she was going. She handed the driver a large sum of money and asked him to drive as far away from there as possible. Seeing the desperation, the baby, and the money, he readily agreed.

Now, they were passing the Emerald City. Huge, green buildings were illuminated by the sun in the sky and the large expanse of land seemed to glow in this deep green. Melena smiled down at Elphaba, who was staring out the window, looking as if she could actually see everything around her.

"Everything looks just like you, my sweet Fabala." Melena cooed. She was not used to this baby talk but she understood its calming effects on the baby.

"Maybe one day, when you're big and tall, you'll visit here and know you are not alone." Melena never really thought about the future. It seemed like an unknown territory for her and the baby. She heaved a heavy sigh and thanked the Unnamed God for letting her leave Nest Hardings and Frex behind.

Minutes ticked by slowly. Then minutes turned into hours. Hours into days. And days into nights. On the third night after passing the Emerald City the driver turned to Melena and said:

"Miss, I'm sorry but we've come to an impasse and I wish to know whether you'd like to go left towards the Vinkus or right towards Gillikin?"

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**A/N: I know this was a really short chapter but I wanted to keep it moving right along. Also, I know postpartum sexual intercourse is not recommended until at **_**least **_**six weeks after giving birth but I figured Melena was desperate. Oh, and sorry for the cliffhanger…Read and Review!**


	3. Taking Chances

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I've been kind of busy with college applications. Hope you enjoy! I actually combined two chapters, so I tried to make it flow a little better. Hopefully that worked.**

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Chapter 3

Taking Chances

"Left," she says after a moment's hesitation. Gillikin was too close to Munchkinland. Too easy for Frex to find them. The farther from Munchkinland, the better.

So they were off. Towards the Vinkus. To where, hopefully, second chances and new beginnings awaited them.

And they continued smoothly for at least 2 more days. Yet, if you were to ask Melena she would say it had taken weeks to reach the dry deserts and grasslands of the Vinkus. Little Elphaba seemed brighter and happier since leaving town and she was acting all the more like a baby; it surprised Melena to no end whenever she would smile.

"We are now entering the Vinkus, m'lady. Would you like to stop for the night or keep moving forward?" The driver asked. He turned back to see Elphaba asleep in Melena's arms. She, too, was sleeping.

"I guess we will keep moving." He said with a heavy sigh and bid the horses to continue their tedious journey.

"M'lady," The driver opened the door and called for Melena once more. "M'lady." He pushed her shoulder carefully. Melena stirred slowly and carefully sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Yes?" She asked, clearly confused. The driver smirked.

"We are here." Melena stared at him like he had three heads. "In the Vinkus…At Kiamo Ko." And it suddenly clicked in her sleepy haze. She stared out passed the driver and into the sun that was high in the sky.

"I figured you would like to meet the king and queen to request a job and maybe permanent residence." Melena looked at him; impressed.

"Thank you very much. How thoughtful of you." She stood and stretched, trying to shake of the lingering feeling of sleep. She turned to Elphaba who was still asleep in the carriage.

"Could you give us a few minutes to make ourselves decent and then you can announce our arrival?" The driver nodded solemnly as he closed the door and returned to his post.

Melena scrambled about the cramped compartment in order to change into something clean, and at the same time she was struggling to get baby Elphaba into a new outfit and a clean diaper.

"Ok. Are you ready little Fabala?" She asked the baby who was staring up at her with intense brown eyes. "Well. Let's go then."

A few minutes later the driver was at the front door making sure to explain Melena's dilemma with the servants of the king and queen. He turned to her and beckoned them closer.

"The king and queen wish to meet you and you are to relay your request for residence with them." Melena nodded and clutched Elphaba closer.

Melena was seated in a large sitting room. Couches were set up at different angles facing the fireplace. Large wooden frames lined the walls. They boasted kings and queens of past eras dressed in extravagant gowns and crowns. The firelight cast an eerie and natural glow on the floor.

A few minutes later a woman, presumably the queen, strode through the door with a rather large man trailing behind her.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, dear." The queen took a seat opposite her, the king, in turn, sat next to his wife.

"It was no problem, your highness." The queen let out a humorous laugh.

"Please, call me Celia. And this is my husband Ayden." The king just nodded in acknowledgment as he sat watching Melena with a careful eye. It was then that Celia noticed the bundle in Melena's lap. She smiled brightly.

"My name is Melena…Thropp."

"Is that your child?" Melena looked down at Elphaba worriedly. What if they thought she was a freak because of her skin? Would they force them out of the Vinkus and send them back to Munchkinland?

"Yes. Her name is Elphaba." Melena nodded carefully. The queen stood and took a seat near Melena.

"May I?" Melena nodded and pulled back the blanket that covered the child's face. No gasp, no shrieks, just silence. She looked up to the queen's face and noticed the look of awe and wonderment in her eyes. The queen reached out a tentative finger and traced a delicate finger across Elphaba's tiny cheek.

"She is gorgeous." Melena sighed in relief. She was so scared that they would frown upon them because of Elphaba's skin color.

"Thank you." Melena replied sincerely. The king interrupted then. Clearing his throat to command attention. All eyes moved from the tiny baby to the king.

"Now. What was is that you needed, ma'm?" He said it in a caring tone. Like he really wanted to know what brought this woman away from her home with her newborn child.

"Well, I…that is my daughter and I, are in need of a home and I am in need of a job. We've been traveling for weeks and are desperate for a place to settle." Elphaba was giggling loudly in Melena's lap and that is when she noticed the queen making funny faces and playing with her daughter. The king saw this and immediately his face softened.

"Do you have any children? If I may ask." The queen waved her hand dismissively.

"Yes. A little boy. Fiyero. He is such a handful though. Almost a year old already." All of a sudden a wail rang through the halls of the castle. A little boy, wearing only his diaper, came stumbling through the door to the sitting room.

"Speak of the little devil. Don't mind him. He's been going his exhibitionist period lately. He can barely keep his cloths on for hours at a time." The queen laughed whole-heartedly. She crouched down with open arms to catch her son. She stood and spun them around gracefully. The little boy giggled in excitement.

"Mama!" He shouted in joy. The king sat back in his chair with a huge smile on his face as he watched his wife and son. The boy was beautiful. His skin was a few shades darker than Melena's pale complexion and his hair was the perfect blend of blonde and brown. But most enchanting of all was his deep blue eyes.

"This is Fiyero. Yero, say hello."

"Hewo" Fiyero said in his slightly slurred speech. Melena smiled encouragingly. The queen set Fiyero down onto the ground and he immediately ran up to Melena and Elphaba. He looked captivated by Elphaba. Maybe it was her green skin that shone in the fire's light. He reached out a chubby finger and traced the baby's hair. Elphaba cooed slightly as she watched in wonder at the little boy.

"Baby." Fiyero said suddenly. The smile on his face was palpable. He was proud of himself. "Baby! Baby! Baby!"

"I think that settles it. Right dear?" The queen turned towards her husband with a sweet smile. He nodded seriously. They seemed to have a silent conversation with their eyes.

"You could stay here." Melena was about to protest when the Celia put up her hand to silence her. "You would be working, of course. We need someone to watch Fiyero while we tend to our royal duties during the day. He seems to have taken a liking to you and your daughter already. You will have a room on the second floor, not far from Fiyero's. Pay will be sparse, but food and rooming will be provided."

"Thank you so much. You have no idea how much of a help this is." Melena was grateful. It hadn't taken long to find a job and a house. That night, as she settled into a real bed for the first time in weeks, she could not help but think that she was finally getting her second chance.

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**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews!! I hope you liked this chapter. I was having a few problems with it, but hopefully you guys enjoyed it. Let me know what you guys think!**


	4. Friends Forever

**A/N: Sorry about the wait. Here's the next chapter. I've been busy with college essays. Also, I skipped a few years because I needed to move forward. I based Elphaba and Fiyero's childish behaviors on my little 5-year-old nephew, so hopefully that helped the dialogue to seem more real. Again, sorry for the delay! Enjoy!**

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Chapter 4

Friends Forever

_Four Years Later_

"Elphaba! Get down!" Melena was tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for her 4-year-old daughter to climb down from the tree.

"What have I told you about climbing trees? You remember what happened last time?" Elphaba nodded her head sadly, her face downcast. Feeling guilty, Melena bent down and hugged her tiny daughter. Elphaba's small arms came up and wrapped about her mother's neck.

"I'm sorry, mommy." She said sadly.

"It's ok. Just don't do it again." She said sternly. Elphaba nodded furiously.

"Promise, mommy!" She said excitedly. Melena laughed and picked up Elphaba and carried her into the house.

"What where you doing in the tree anyway, Fabala?" Melena said as she bounced Elphaba on her hip. The girl just shrugged her shoulders.

"Looking at the sky, mommy! The sky is blue!"

"Yes. It is." Melena said proudly. While it had taken Fiyero a little while to learn his numbers and his colors, Elphaba had understood it quickly. Needless to say, it was Elphaba who taught Fiyero how to count and recognize colors. It all amused Melena to no end.

As soon as they passed the horse stables, Fiyero came dashing around the corner and tugging at Melena's shirt.

"Elphie! Elphie! Come on!" He yelled. He grabbed Elphaba's hand and dragged her away. Melena laughed softly.

"They are really getting along, aren't they?" Said Tamir, the servant who tended the stables. She suddenly blushed and nodded.

"Yes. Yes, they are." Melena was astonished when she had first come to live with the Tiggular family that everyone, including the servants, was very welcoming. No one was disgusted by Elphaba's skin color and they accepted them both instantly.

Melena and Tamir shared a secret smile as she continued on into the house to finish her chores. In the past few weeks Melena and Tamir had gotten especially close and were debating whether or not to continue with their relationship. Melena had her reservations; she wanted to take things slow for Elphaba's sake. She deserved her full attention whenever possible. She needed to do what was right for her family.

He was handsome and charming, Melena had to admit. And he was oh so sweet. But she wanted to get to know him more before anything else transpired between them. As she walked into the living room, she knew exactly who to talk to for advice.

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While Melena was busy with the laundry, Fiyero and Elphaba were sitting quietly on the deck playing a game.

"Blue?" Fiyero turned to Elphaba and asked shyly. She sighed dramatically and put her little hands on her tiny hips.

"Yero! It's red!" She yelled out exasperatedly. She was so tired of telling him something so many times. Fiyero took one look at her frowning face and stubborn stance and burst out into a fit of giggles.

"You're funny." He said in between giggles. Elphaba was slightly outraged but eventually his laughter got to her and she sat down next to him and joined in.

Fiyero always laughed whenever Elphaba frowned. The concept of anger and sadness was foreign to him. He had no reason to be upset so he laughed at her funny frowns.

"Yero! Fae!" Melena called from the door. "Time for dinner!" Fiyero helped pull Elphaba up from her seat and then they raced to the door.

"I win! I win!" Fiyero declared as they pushed through the doorframe and jumped about for good measure. Elphaba looked slightly dejected but Fiyero's joy was enough to stop a frown from forming on her face.

Melena sometimes fretted over the fact that her little Elphaba frowned so much. Yet, it was times like these, when Fiyero and Elphaba were laughing at each other, that she knew her daughter would be fine. She had a friend to help her through anything.

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After getting the children into their respective beds, Melena ventured down to the kitchen to make tea for the king and queen. While there, the queen came waltzing in.

"Mel, you wanted to speak with me?" Melena nodded her head as she put the pot on the stove.

"Yes, Celia. I was curious of your opinion on something." The queen nodded for her to continue. "Well. As you know, Tamir and I have been seeing each other and would like to continue to do so. I needed, first, to ask for your permission as your servant."

"Melena. You know I have no problem with making you happy. I feel as if you deserve some happiness and if Tamir is the man who brings it to you then so be it. Don't you worry about the consequences from my end, for there are none. "

"Thank you, m'lady. Now as your friend, your confidant. I want to know whether or not I should do this. I worry about Elphaba. She is growing quickly and deserves my attention. As does Fiyero." Melena said earnestly. Her brown eyes were deep and curious.

"I think you deserve happiness. But I do believe that Elphaba needs you. She is a growing girl. She will need an attentive mother. I suggest you take things slow." Just then the kettle on the stove began to whistle.

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"You're it!" Elphaba yelled as she darted behind the bushes in front of the castle. She was squealing so loud that Fiyero was able to follow her voice easily.

""Nuh-uh! You are now!"

"That's not fair!" Elphaba squeaked.

It continued on like this for much longer until Melena and Celia stepped out onto the balcony to call them in for lunch.

"Just look at her. She's been smiling so much lately." Melena was in awe at how much Elphaba was changing from a shy little girl to one much brighter and excited.

"Yes. I think Yero is smitten with her. They can't stand to be away from each other for more than a few minutes at a time." Celia laughed wholeheartedly.

"She asked about her father last night." Melena solemnly said. She looked down at the smiling green blur that was Elphaba.

"And what did you say?"

"What could I say?" Melena asked, suddenly enraged. "That her father was an evil man who wanted to murder her? Who wanted nothing more than to see her dead?...I couldn't do that. Not to a little girl. It would terrify her." Melena shook her head sadly.

"What did you tell her?" Celia asked as she put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder in support.

"I told her that he was far away and we couldn't see him anymore. She took it fine. She didn't really ask anything else." Melena shrugged. "But I'll have to tell her the truth eventually."

Everything was well. For now.

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**A/N: I know this chapter was a little more Melena-centric but I needed you to see her struggles as well. You got some babyFiyeraba, though**!** :D Hope you enjoyed. Read and review!!  
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	5. Lurlinemas Threat

**A/N: I want to apologize profusely and hope that you dear readers understand. I know there are no excuses but I've been racked with homework and essays and holidays. Everything just pilled high and I had no time to post this. **

**But, I can say that I am done with my college essays and applications so updates should be considerably quicker. Hope you enjoy and I sort of made Lurlinemas equivalent to our Christmas and tweaked a few things. Hope you enjoy!!**

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Pacing back and forth along the shabby room in the filthy Inn, Frex was frantically trying to come up with a plan. A plan to find his wife and 'daughter.' That retched bitch was probably whoring around in the dumps of the dirtiest village far from here. He was angry. Furious even.

Years ago, Frex would have thought the concept of anger to be foreign and irrelevant. Yet that green vegetable had to come and ruin his life; his career. Her and that whore of a wife. He actually liked her. Not like the various women that lay in his bed every night now. Tonight was some random girl from the club down the street, which he could not recall her name. _Oh, well. _He sighed. She would be gone before sunrise, anyway.

Now, _what to do._He'd tried various plans already. He searched all of Munchkinland; using his connections with various ministers and priests to locate a peculiar sight of a single mother with a green child. No such luck. It had taken years to get nowhere. And now he was furious.

Quickly, he sat down and took out some loose parchment from the draw and wrote a letter to a family in the Gillikin which he new to be quite powerful and rich. He had met Athena Upland years before during his term at the university in which he took classes on his father's insistence. Her husband was in league with the most powerful political leaders and religious affiliates best known in all of Oz. Surely they would help him in the small matter of finding his missing wife and child.

_My Dearest Athena and Geraldo Upland,_

_It has been quite sometime since the last we have spoken and I apologize profusely for having lost touch. Lately, I have been pondering a move to Gillikin and would like a small favor from my old university friends. I hope you can forgive my past grievances and we can start anew. In the past few years I have became a Unionist minister and taken a wife and bore a daughter. It is with deep sadness and regret that the joyous announcement of my dear daughter's birth is anything but joyous. Merely a few days after her birth (four years ago) my wife, having psychological issues, took off with my poor, innocent child. It is with a heavy heart that I ask for your help in locating my daughter to bring her back into my arms where she will be safe and out of harms way. When possible, we should meet to discuss a rescue plan._

_I expect to hear from you soon. I wish happiness to you and your family around the holidays. _

_Your Friend,_

_ Frexspar_

"Yes." Frex laughed evilly as he set his pen down. "That will do very nicely." He cackled loudly and set about to mail the letter that afternoon. He was anxious for a reply already. He was one step closer to getting his daughter back and undoing all the sin and evil she created.

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The holidays were in full swing in Kiamo Ko. Decorations for Lurlinemas were being put up by the insistence of Celia. The king seemed to walk about the castle in a constant sour mood and every time Celia saw her husband scowl she could not help but smile. He was being so stubborn.

"What has him so upset?" Melena asked one morning, barely a week before Lurlinemas.

"He detests the holidays. His family was never one to celebrate and he was adamant that we continue the non-tradition. But I was determined to give my family the best holiday. Fiyero deserves as much." Celia explained as she was helping Melena clothe the children.

The morning sun was already high in the sky as the children raced down the steps for breakfast. Their short little legs carrying them much faster down the steps in front of their mothers.

"I know that if he opens up his mind to it, the holidays would be a much better experience for everyone involved." Melena nodded her head in agreement.

The next week was spent running around the castle trying to set up for the Lurlinemas feast that was to take place on the eve of the holiday. Servants were cleaning every inch of the castle and preparing the guestrooms for some of the families that would join in on the celebrations.

"How many families will be joining us?" Melena asked as she was changing that sheets in a guest room on the second floor.

"About 4 families. Each have children, of course. Ayden insists on inviting families who share our political and personal views. Most are families we've met while on business in the Emerald City."

Just then, Fiyero ran to the room, his small arms waiving frantically, "Mommy! Elphie was being mean!" Then a little green blur ran behind him and pushed him. She looked defiantly at her mother and at the Queen; her arms crossed over her chest.

"No I was not." She looked so adult-like in her manner that you would not know that she was only 4 years old. Melena and Celia shared a secret smile and then the Queen turned to the children.

"Now, Elphaba, you do not push Fiyero. You apologize to him right now." She turned stubbornly to Yero and squeaked out an 'I'm sorry.' "Then you will both sit down and tell me what happened."

The children were constantly getting into arguments over such trivial things that Melena had to chalk it up to their differences in personality. They balanced each other out so well. Elphaba's bad temper and stubbornness was a contrast to Fiyero's patience and free spirited nature. And for once, Melena was glad that Fiyero could help her daughter smile.

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Two days before Lurlinemas brought the visiting families to the castle without interruption. They servants were told to do as asked and make sure they looked presentable. Melena, as well as a few of the maids, was in charge of any young children that were to be in the castle.

The first family to arrive was the Uplands from the Gillikin. Athena and Geraldo were a very pleasant couple who had an adorable 4 year old; Galinda, with bright, shinny blonde curls and a perfect white dress and matching shoes. She was a very adorable little girl.

Melena watched carefully Elphaba's interaction with the other children. She wanted to make sure no one was mean to her because of her skin.

"Why are you green?" The little blonde asked Elphaba, who was sitting by Fiyero playing with the blocks. Galinda was staring at her, entranced by her soft emerald color and how Fiyero contrasted her green skin perfectly with his darker complexion. Their skin tones reminded Galinda of the colors of the rainforest. Elphaba just shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. I just am." She looked disinterested in the blonde and turned to Fiyero. "Can we go play outside now?" Fiyero nodded his head excitedly. Little Galinda stood up to follow and join in their games.

Melena shook her head in mirth and was satisfied that Elphaba could handle herself in these types of situations.

-------------------------------

At the dinner table later that night, Athena and Geraldo spoke of their endeavors in the Emerald City and their palace in the Upper Uplands of Gillikin. They spoke of mutual friends and their family.

"Yes. Our little Galinda is shaping up to be a beautiful young girl. She looks just like her momsie." Geraldo commented when Celia mentioned their daughter. They were very proud of her.

"Ayden, you remember Frexspar don't you?" Melena's head snapped up instantly. Frexspar was not a very common name anywhere; they could only be speaking of _him. _The king shook his head. "The Unionist Minister?" This only confirmed Melena's fear. She dropped her fork noisily on her plate and quickly apologized, wishing for Geraldo to continue his conversation.

"Ah, yes. The Minister from Munchkinland. I remember him now. What of him?" He asked offhandedly; not really interested. Melena had her eyes fixed on the plate in front of her but her attention was entirely focused on the conversation.

"He is moving to Gillikin soon. Wishing to spread his ministries farther north." Ayden nodded his head, impressed. "He's married, you know. And he has a child, too." Again, Ayden nodded, silently wondering where any of this was going. Geraldo leaned across the table. At this point Melena was practically jumping out of her seat in anxiety. "He says his wife up and left with their daughter. He's been trying to find them for years now…. He's asking me for help."

At this Ayden looked up at Geraldo, surprised. "He's asking you for help? After that embarrassing fiasco years ago in the Emerald City?" Geraldo merely nodded in amusement. "He has some nerve to even write to you."

"My thoughts exactly."

Melena relaxed considerably in her seat. Anxiety was racking her nerves and she had grown pale at the thought of being caught. At least she knew that she could trust the Uplands and maybe Lurlinemas this year would be a joyous occasion. But there was a part of her mind that still knew Frex was a real threat to her and Elphaba, no matter how isolated they were.


End file.
